Kettering family fun day celebrates Halloween and helps campaign against warehouse park

A Kettering campaign group held a family fun day to help them fight plans for a huge warehouse park and celebrate Halloween.

More than 120 people attended a ‘Spooky’n’Sweet’ afternoon on October 29, which was put on by Save Weekley Hall Wood campaigners near the site of the proposed development on the northern edge of the town.

They are fundraising for a barrister to represent them at a planning inquiry, which is due to start next month and will decide the fate of plans by the Duke of Buccleuch’s development company.

If approved the development – which campaigners have been fighting since 2020 – would see the loss of a meadow and popular walking routes.

At the fun day families followed a trail of paper ghosts to a location near the path to enjoy forest school-style activities including apple bobbing, woollen pumpkin and magic wand making, skeleton straw art, clay animals, den building, bird feeder making, hammocks, bubbles and music. The family fun days have been running since June 2022 and happen every school holiday.

Organiser Polly Shackleton said: “It was amazing to see so many families enjoying themselves, exploring and playing together.

"Our family fun events are an incredible illustration of how many people from the local community visit and love Weekley Hall Wood. Access to green spaces like the wood is absolutely vital to support mental health and wellbeing of families and young people.”

Rupert, aged nine, said: “I like collecting sticks and spotting newts and lizards on the meadow. I’m worried about where the small creatures will live if it’s built on.”

Cllr Dez Dell (Green), who is also a member of the Save Weekley Hall Wood campaign group, said: “This wood has so much value to the people of Kettering, and the family fun days allow children to connect with nature; getting mucky, climbing trees and exploring is an essential part of being a kid and it was brilliant to see so many youngsters at the wood.

"I used to have a brilliant time in this wood when I was a kid, so to think that only a few metres from where the fun days are held could be a huge warehouse is quite distressing.

“I’m really hopeful that our legal team and the council will be able to successfully oppose Buccleuch’s plans at the public inquiry. This area should be a country park so it can’t be developed.”

John Padwick added: “It was wonderful to see all the children and families out enjoying the woods on a lovely autumn day. Experiences like this are so important to help us understand the value of the woods and meadow, and form memories for us all to look back on.

"So many people wanted to sign our petition supporting our campaign and making really generous contributions to our fighting fund.”

The planning inquiry is due to start on November 28 in Thrapston, although campaigners are urging North Northamptonshire Council to change it to a location in Kettering.

Save Weekley Hall Wood are fundraising to pay their legal team and need another £7,000 towards their target of £30,000. To donate visit www.saveweekleyhallwood.com.